A Matter of Heart
by dabbling
Summary: "Bobby, are you okay?" His voice was so quiet, she barely heard him. "I think I'm having a heart attack," he mumbled. Mwahahaha. B/A angst, as well as a crime story. And Hockey. You know you secretly love hockey. Rated M, cuz things get a little hot near the end.
1. Chapter 1

A Matter of Heart

Chapter 1

As they filed out of the old brownstone, nerves were still on edge. Bobby had drifted this way and that during the impromptu debriefings that took place in the room, on the stairs, on the porch stoop. That was typical of him. As she spoke with the CSU team coming in, she cast her eyes every few minutes in his direction. When she saw him close himself in the car, she got worried.

Bobby just didn't do that. When he was upset, he moved. Constant motion helped him collect his thoughts. This was unlike him. She excused herself from the conversation and walked quickly to the car. He was inside, sitting very still, his right hand gripping his left shoulder.

Her brow was furrowed as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Bobby, are you okay?" She asked, pulling the door shut and slipping the key in the ignition.

His voice was so quiet, she barely heard him. "I think I'm having a heart attack," he mumbled.

She reached over and loosened his tie. She unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and felt his pulse and his clammy forehead. "I'll get you to a hospital," she promised, and pulled the car into the lane.

* * *

He didn't feel much like talking, so she stood around, arms folded, hovering near his bed in the ER, while the heart monitor recorded whatever was going on inside him. The staff hadn't given any theories yet of what might be going on. They'd simply hooked the wires to him, given him oxygen, and drifted off to tend to other patients.

She could tell by the look on his face that he was scared. Alex was scared, too. The strain he'd suffered through his mother's illness, losing her, then losing Frank… she'd witnessed a long, slow decline in his health. She'd tried to talk with him about it, but he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to commit to anything right now. It was a miracle he'd made it in to work on a regular basis.

Alex checked her watch. They'd been in the ER for an hour and a half already. Bobby raised his hand and rubbed his eyes. Then he continued staring at the rings holding the curtain up.

Angrily, she stepped out of the room. She interrupted every single staff person she could find until someone listened. "My partner has been here for an hour and a half, a possible heart attack. We haven't seen anyone in over an hour."

"He's on a monitor?"

"Yes."

"If no one's been in there, I'm sure he's fine. I'll ask around, see if I can speed things up for you."

Sighing, Alex returned to Bobby's side. He glanced in her direction, but she shook her head in frustration. Bobby sat up, took off the oxygen tube, and started pulling leads off his skin. The monitor went crazy with beeps and in seconds three staff people were in the room.

"Lie down, sir," they prompted him.

"Why? You're not doing anything for me, and I still feel like crap."

"Mr. Goren, please lie down. We've been very busy and the doctor hasn't had a chance to—"

"Alex, get my pants," he said, gesturing to the folded bundle on the chair next to her.

"Mr. Goren," a nurse said.

"What's all the commotion?" asked the doctor as he walked into the little curtained area.

"I'm going home," Bobby said, determined.

"Without knowing what happened," the doctor countered.

Bobby sat still and stared at him. "Do you know what happened?"

The doctor reviewed the little EKG printout. "I have a good idea," he said.

Bobby laid back down in the bed. The doctor waved off the others. Alex stepped in closer, and Bobby nodded his permission for her to stay. "What is it?" Bobby demanded.

"Not a heart attack," the doctor said with a smile.

Reflexively, Alex reached out and squeezed Bobby's fingers.

"I'll order some tests to be sure, but I think you have a couple of things going on."

"It's not acid reflux, lunch wasn't anything that—"

He doctor smiled. "Okay. There are still some other possibilities." He looked from Bobby to Alex and back. "You said you're a police officer?"

"A detective, yeah."

"And you were in a high-stress situation today."

Bobby frowned. "You think it's stress."

"I don't think that helped." The doctor raised his hand and scratched his chin. "Actually, I suspect you may have an electrolyte imbalance or possibly a thyroid problem. And the stress of your job just acted as a catalyst for what happened today." He smiled again. "I'm going to order a blood test and ask you to drink a sports drink or two. If you'll promise to follow up with your doctor within the next few days, I'll release you as soon as they do the blood draw."

Bobby nodded quickly. "Okay. Thanks."

"You can go ahead and get dressed, if you want."

"Thanks, Doctor."

* * *

He was still in a foul mood. Alex bought him the drinks, a six pack of them, and followed him into his apartment, determined to stay until he'd finished at least one of them.

Bobby ripped off the lime green tape holding the cotton ball against the inside of his elbow, where they'd drawn the blood. Angrily, he threw it in the trash.

"What are you waiting for?" He snapped.

"Just finish your drink and I'll go," she replied.

He frowned and tried to guzzle it, but it was too much and he had to stop. "Not a word of this to anyone."

"They already know you went to the hospital," she said.

"I mean the why. Just let me talk to Ross and play dumb, okay?"

"Sure, Bobby. Sure." Her eyebrows knit together again. He was really worried that this could somehow affect his job. In an attempt to lighten the mood, she offered, "Hey, at least we know it wasn't a heart attack."

He didn't appreciate the comment. Bobby threw down the rest of his drink in one long gulp.

"All right," she said. "I'll go now." She gathered up her purse and walked to the door. He walked over, too, and held his hand on the knob. Her face was sincere now, and caring. "Call me if you need anything, Bobby."

Powerful guilt bubbled up inside him. "O-okay," he said, nodding. "And Eames… thanks."

Her fingers were wrapped around his bicep as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Alex gave him one last look of concern before she walked down the hall and out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"How's Goren?" Ross asked Alex as he passed by her desk.

She was quiet at first, then she simply said. "He'll be here soon. You can ask him."

Ross thought it odd, but then decided there was no reason to pressure her about it. Obviously Goren didn't want her talking about him. "Send him in when he gets here," he said, and walked the rest of the way to his office.

Twenty minutes later, Bobby was standing by his desk.

"You okay?" she asked him quietly.

His nod was almost imperceptible. "Better," he said.

"Ross wants to see you."

His head snapped up, eyes locked with hers. Just as quickly, he looked away. He trusted her. "Okay, thanks," Bobby told her. He walked to the Captain's office.

"Goren, come in," Ross said.

Bobby entered and shut the door gently.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, sir."

"I guess it wasn't a heart attack."

"No, sir, it doesn't look like it."

"Well?"

Bobby shrugged. "The doctor ordered some tests. I won't know for a few days."

"You know I've heard that GERD…"

"It's not that, sir. We ruled that out."

"Oh. Good."

"Is that all, Captain?"

Ross offered him a small smile. "Uh, yeah. Take it easy, Goren. If you don't feel well, take some time."

"Thank you, sir." Bobby turned and walked back out to his desk, where he sat down.

"How'd that go?" Alex asked.

"Fine." He rooted through the files and papers on his desk. "Where's the report from yesterday?"

"I already took care of it," she said.

His hands dropped and were still. "When?"

Alex shrugged, blowing him off. "Last night." She saw his frown. "Look, I didn't want it hanging over our heads, okay?" She signed a couple of forms and dropped her pen back into the metal cup that sat by her computer. Forms in hand, she stood. "When's your appointment?"

"Tomorrow." She gave him a nod of approval and walked down to the mail room.

"Goren, are you all right?" Logan asked, with Wheeler at his side.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks," he said, irritation in his voice.

"Heart attack's a pretty scary thing—"

"It wasn't a heart attack," Goren snapped. He ran a hand through his hair, which did nothing but make it stand up wilder and taller. "Uh, we, uh, ruled that out."

Mike gave him a smile but said nothing until he made eye contact. "Good." The two partners went back to their own corner of the squad room, and Bobby was relieved. He hoped this wouldn't continue all day. He half felt like picking up a radio and announcing the status of his health once and for all. Keep the dogs at bay…

"New case," Ross said, dropping a file on his desk and snapping him out of his head. "Sex, drugs, and hockey. Can't beat that."

Goren leaned forward in his chair and opened the file. By the time Alex returned, he was ready to go. "We got a scene," he announced. "Let's go."

She smiled and plucked her keys from her desk drawer. "All right," she said.

* * *

It was a nice apartment, two bedroom with a standing room only kitchen but a nice dining area shooting off the side that spilled into a roomy family room. The detectives donned their gloves and stepped carefully through the scene, avoiding the CSU team and listening to the briefing being delivered by the local detective who was handing over the case.

"Mack Thornton. You heard of him?" Bobby nodded, Alex didn't. "Plays for the Rangers, new this season. They just bumped him up from the Whales."

"Yeah, isn't he a…forward? Got a good slapshot, if I remember."

"Yeah, that's him. His first game would have been in a couple of weeks. We've already gotten a call from the Ranger's PR team. They want to know what they can announce to the fans about this."

The man lay on the floor next to his bed, naked. Bobby squatted down beside the body and gave him a visual inspection. "Lots of old scarring, probably from the game. This bruise here looks fresh," he said, pointing to the man's upper arm. "Got a COD?" Bobby asked.

"Looks like a heart attack."

The Detective couldn't have known, but Bobby's head snapped in his direction and his ugly mood returned. He clamped his mouth shut and stared at the body again. "Pretty rare for an athlete to die of a heart attack. Possible, but rare. Find any needle marks?"

"Nah, but we didn't move him. Might be on the other side."

"Photos done?"

"Yeah," called the photographer from behind him.

Bobby turned the body carefully, revealing the man's front side to the room. He touched him gently with a gloved finger, here, there, moving hair out of the way, checking a bruise. "Nothing. We'll have to wait for the ME's report."

"Detective Laney, Rangers on the phone again," one of the other officers said, holding a phone in the air.

"I'll take care of it," Alex said. She walked over with her hand in the air and accepted the phone from her fellow officer.

"Signs of recent sex," Bobby muttered. "Get anything from the sheets?"

"Lots. Hair, fibers, fluid, you name it."

"All right, Laney, we'll take it from here. Good work."

* * *

They'd given the place a thorough scouring before they left. A divorced but devoted Dad, the second bedroom had belonged to his 7 year old daughter. The next stop for the detectives was the ex-wife.

"Hello, Mrs. Thornton. I'm Alex Eames, this is my partner Robert Goren. We're detectives with NYPD."

"Oh God, oh, God, is this about Mack?"

"Can we come in?" Alex asked. The women stepped aside and the detectives walked in.

Little Danielle bopped into the room as Bobby shut the door. "Mama, who are they?"

"They're police, Dani. They came to talk to me."

A quick exchange of glances between Bobby and Alex, and Bobby was being led to the little girl's room for an introduction to her stuffed animals.

"Is it Mack?" The woman asked again, once her daughter was out of earshot.

Alex nodded sadly. "I'm sorry to inform you that he was found dead last night in his apartment."

She raised a hand to her mouth and sobbed quietly.

"Mrs. Thornton, did Mack have a heart problem?"

"Heart problem? No, he played hockey for a living. He was as strong as an ox."

"Did he have any enemies?"

"Oh my God, you think he was killed?"

"We just have to be very thorough. We don't think anything, yet."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"It's pretty competitive, but I never got the sense that anyone was… _that_ kind of enemy. Mack worked hard to improve his game. That's why the Rangers finally picked him up."

"How long have you been divorced?"

"Two years."

"And you were… amicable?"

"Not at first. It was very hard. But we learned… for Dani's sake."

"When did he see her?"

"She would go with him on Sunday nights and stay until Tuesday."

"Every week?"

"Except when he had an out of town game."

"What about practice?"

"They didn't usually have practice on Mondays. If they did for some reason, he has a friend, Michelle, sometimes she would babysit. Or if she couldn't, he could always call me."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thornton. I'm very sorry."

"Uh, I guess I'll have to… take care of the arrangements. Who do I call?"

Alex dug a card out of her pocket. "This is the number for the medical examiner's office. It may be a few days before we can release his body."

"Oh. Okay."

Alex smiled. "I'll just go get my partner," she said. She slowly climbed the stairs. "Bobby?" she called.

"In here," he said.

Alex swung the door the rest of the way open and found him holding a stuffed bear in his arms, feeding it a baby bottle.

"I just had to… feed the baby," he said quietly.

"Shh!" Dani put her finger to her lips. "She's falling asleep!"

Bobby looked at Alex as if to say, "Yeah, be quiet, you'll wake her!" After a slight chuckle, he carefully got to his feet. He gently laid the bear on Dani's bed and put a little blanket over it. Bobby squatted in front of her and smiled. "Bye, bye," he whispered. "I had fun playing with you."

"Bye bye, Bobby. I had fun, too." She gave him a quick hug and ran past them down the stairs to her mother.

* * *

"Sweet girl," he said as they got into the car. "Get anything?"

"Thornton had some kind of female friend, close enough to babysit."

"Funny how the ex knew we were there about him."

Alex whined. "Ah, maybe. She seemed pretty okay to me. Maybe he was always in trouble."

"Hockey's a rough game. Attracts a lot of tough guys."

He rubbed his arm absently, and she was reminded of the day before. Alex pulled into the lot by a quickie mart and parked. "I need a drink. I'll be right back," she said.

When she handed him the sports drink, he knew. But this was Alex, and he couldn't really be angry with his best friend for caring about him, could he?

* * *

"I want your job," Logan jibed from behind Goren. A handful of other guys stood near the glass, too, all eyes on the tv screen in front of Bobby.

Goren sniggered. "Luck of the draw, Logan." He glanced around at the audience. Not as big a crowd as when they had a porn video, but enough.

"What is this, anyway?"

"Hockey player, Mack Thornton, turned up dead last night. He played for the Connecticut Whales before the Rangers picked him up. I'm studying up on games from his last season with the Whales."

"Some slap-shot," Logan said, pulling up a chair beside Bobby.

"Yeah, I remember this guy. I caught a couple of games on cable last season."

"You thinking one of the other players?"

Bobby shrugged. "I don't know. Just thought it was worth checking." After Mike's reaction to the next play, Goren raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you have a case of your own to work on?"

"Oh, uh… yeah." Logan stood. "I guess I'll get back to it. Hey let me know if you need any… uh, help."

Once Mike left, Bobby settled back in his chair. He wrote a couple of notes in his binder, which was perched on his right leg.

A knock, and he looked up to find Alex in the doorway. "ME's office called. Autopsy's done."

Goren shut down the video and the other guys wandered back to their desks, moping. He followed Alex out and down the hall.

* * *

"Heart attack?" Asked Bobby.

"No." Rodgers spun to face him. "You?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. Was there no one in all of NYPD who hadn't heard about yesterday? "No."

"Good." Elizabeth turned back to the body. "Traces of alcohol… a _lot_ of it, and cocaine."

"Coke?" Alex asked. "We didn't find anything at the scene."

"Injected."

"I didn't see a needle mark," Bobby commented.

Rodgers smiled. She'd finally one-upped him. "Under his tongue. He was murdered. Killer probably waited until he was so drunk he passed out, then injected the coke right into his vein. He went into cardiac arrest within minutes."

"This guy had an enemy," Alex mused. "I think it's time we go talk to Michelle," she told Bobby.

* * *

"He was never home. She couldn't handle it. So when he signed on with the Whales, and he needed someone to comfort him…"

"You were there for him," Alex supplied the words as if she hadn't heard this same story a thousand times.

"Exactly."

"And now that he moved up to the Rangers?"

"It hasn't been easy," Michelle said, fingering the heart pendant on her necklace. "But I love him. And he loves me. We're working on it."

"So you were with him last night?" Bobby interjected.

Her lips parted enough that he could see her teeth. "Like most every night."

"You had sex," Alex said.

The woman reacted with a jolt of surprise, then embarrassment. "Yes."

"Were you drinking?" Bobby's turn.

"We had a few."

"How did you get home?", now Alex.

"I called a cab."

Alex got the name of the company and the approximate time, the route she said they took. She hadn't kept the receipt.

"You know, I always wanted to play hockey," Bobby said. The women stared at him. "But, I could… never afford to be on a league or anything," he said shyly. "I always thought if I got to play, that you know, the other guys, you know, would back off… that they'd be afraid of me, and leave me alone." Bobby picked up a picture of Michelle and Mack off her bookshelf. "It's a sport for tough guys, you know? Mack ever get in any fights, you know, out of the arena?"

"Sure, one or two," she answered.

"He ever get in any fights," Bobby moved in closer to her, touched his finger to the edge of her face in the picture, "… with you?"

"God, no! We argued sometimes, sure, but, he never… never laid a hand on me."

"What about his ex?"

"No, not that I ever heard."

"And Dani?"

"Never."

* * *

A/N I'd love to get some reviews about now! I hope you're enjoying.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"She lied," Bobby said over Alex's shoulder. They climbed into the car and she unbuttoned her coat. "In that picture, her make-up. It was thicker on one side than the other."

"She was concealing a bruise," Alex said, nodding. "I'm going to chase down the cabbie and call it a night." She looked over at him, cocking her head slightly. "You've had a long day."

There it was again. He bristled and told himself it was only because she cared. "I'll take some of those videos home. I may as well watch some hockey tonight. My appointment's in the morning, so I'll be in a little late."

"No problem. I can keep myself busy, digging into his family life."

* * *

"Your thyroid levels were normal."

"So what does that mean? It was just stress?"

"_Just_ stress can mean a lot," the doctor said. "And thyroid levels are changing all the time. So just because it was normal when they did the draw doesn't mean it was normal when you felt the pain." The doctor sat down on his stool and looked Bobby over. He sat on the edge of the exam table, slouching slightly.

"Your electrolytes were definitely out of whack. You were just out of a high-adrenaline, stressful situation, it's possible your thyroid contributed to the circumstances. I'd say all the dominoes were stacked and ready to fall. It wouldn't hurt for you to make some changes, now. Your cholesterol is higher than I'd like to see and you could stand to get more exercise. A healthy diet would keep your potassium levels more stable."

Rather than be angry, Bobby nodded. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, but said nothing.

"Didn't you say your mother passed away recently?"

"Yes. In the past year. My brother, too," he added.

The doctor gave him a compassionate smile. "You've had a lot of stress factors in your life lately. I could prescribe something for depression, too, if you'd like."

"N-no." Bobby got to his feet and paced the floor as he spoke. "If I'm depressed, it's situational, and it's getting better already. I don't need to be medicated for something that will clear up on its own…"

"It's your call," the doctor said. "I was only offering. After all, a headache will clear up on its own, too, but that doesn't stop most people from taking something for it." He smiled. "More important is diet and exercise. I want to see you again in a month."

* * *

Bobby strolled in at about eleven and dropped his coat off his shoulders. He tucked it onto the back of his chair.

"Hi. How'd it go?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Okay." He was irritated by the whole thing, really, and he didn't want to talk about it. "Have you made any headway?" He asked.

"Cab ride checked out. He has a short record, a couple of assault and battery charges. Bar fights, it looks like. I've been looking into the women, trying to see if there's evidence of abuse. You get anything from the hockey games?"

"He had a pretty good rivalry with a couple of the other Whales, but when they were on the ice, they were a team."

"I'm tired of all this desk work. Wanna head out with me? We'll meet a few people, then get some lunch?"

"Sure," Bobby agreed.

* * *

The Ranger's manager, the coach and his assistant were holed up in the office, under the advisement of the PR department. If it weren't for their badges, Bobby and Alex would not have been admitted.

They shook hands all around. "Mike Wilcox, Rangers General Manager, Bill Hinton, Head Coach, and Rudy Emery, Assistant Coach."

Bobby introduced himself and Alex and added, "We're sorry for your loss."

"How can we help, Detectives?"

"We have determined that Mr. Thornton was murdered." A gasp went around the room, and more than one curse. "We are trying to gather information about the victim as well as the people he associated with." Alex was all business.

"You don't think one of our guys…?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We're a team, here. Those guys are like brothers."

"We're not looking at anyone in particular, yet," Alex explained. "Just trying to learn more, that's all."

"Mack hadn't been on the team very long," Bobby said. "You know, I've always wondered… is there any kind of a ritual associated with that?" He gave his most charming, boyish smile. "I always dreamed of making it pro," he said.

"You play hockey, Detective Goren?"

"No, only pick-up games. He shrugged. You know, a boy's dream. I would have given anything to make it in any sport."

The men nodded their understanding.

"So when you first get on, is there, you know, a welcome party or something?"

The team execs shared knowing looks. "Just a lot of sweat and bruises."

The coach said, "If you survive the first practice, you're one of us."

"So that first practice, is… kind of… kind of a test?"

"You could say that," Emery explained. "The veteran players, they'll all make sure and give the greenhorn at least one good solid hit. It's kind of an unwritten rule, but if he stays on his feet, they leave him alone. If he falls, he has to take another one."

"And how did Mack do," Bobby asked, "in that first practice?"

"As well as anybody. I think he only got knocked down twice," Hinton said.

"He buddies with anyone in particular?" Bobby inquired.

"He knew a couple of the others already, from the Whales. But he really hit it off with Filipek. Brandon Filipek?"

"He's your goalkeeper," Bobby said.

"You're a Rangers fan?"

Bobby grinned. "Who isn't?"

* * *

"So?"

"Look, Eames, I really don't want to talk about it." He leaned over his salad and frowned as he took a bite.

"I know you don't, Bobby, but I'm your partner. If there's something I can do that will help, or that I need to watch out for…"

"Look, it's nothing, okay?!" He shoved the salad away and turned to his soup, thankful he'd gotten something that might actually fill him up. Bobby stewed a moment, then turned his angry eyes back to her. He was forcing himself to talk to her.

"He couldn't tell me for sure what caused it, but probably stress. And I just have to… get healthier."

She smiled, and actually seemed relieved. "That's good news, Bobby!"

"It's good that I get stressed out so much I think I'm dying? And then I look like an idiot for wasting everybody's time in the ER?"

"Bobby, you weren't imagining it. The pain was real. I felt the sweat on your forehead. You can't fake that." She motioned to his meal as she took another bite. "I see you're trying to eat better. What else will you do?"

He shook his head and let his knee bounce until his foot on the metal table stand rattled the entire table. He turned sideways and stopped. "I don't know. I guess running. I can always do stairs in my building."

She smiled her approval. "Let me know if I can help."

"I'll call you in about a year, when I have a chance of keeping up with you," he snarked.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He had the best of intentions. Bobby ran the first flight, then stopped and hunched over with his hands on his knees. His chest was heaving, and for a moment, he thought he felt the pain again. He staggered back to the corner of the landing and leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

_How did I get this out of shape?!_

Once he felt he could stand without falling, he began the long walk up the stairs to his floor. Walking. He would start with walking. Maybe in a week or so he could run.

* * *

He caught a glimpse of her when she first came in, sweaty from her morning run. Alex headed for the locker room, unaware she was being watched.

Bobby had always admired her figure, but today he had a new appreciation. It was hard work, and he knew it. He finished refilling his coffee cup and headed back to his desk.

He was engrossed in the autopsy report when she intruded into his thoughts. "Good morning!" Her voice was bright and cheerful.

Bobby looked up and smiled at her, noticing her still-damp hair. "Good run?" He asked.

"Yeah. You?" she prodded.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Don't ask."

"But you tried, right?"

"Yeah, I tried." He held the report up where she could see it. "Rodgers catalogued every bruise, every healed bone with an approximate date for us." He watched while Alex read it over. "Sometimes I just want to kiss her."

"For a list of bruises? I could show you my grocery list, what'll that get me?!" Her teasing culminated with a wink, and his eyes sparkled when he gave her a smile.

"On his… uh… on his arrest report, that was when he got that broken wrist." Bobby dropped the tip of his pencil in the right spot on the autopsy report. "On his arrest report, it says that was a defensive injury when the other guy whacked him with a pool cue."

She listened, then looked up, waiting for his finale.

"Hockey players… uh… fight with sticks. It's what they're used to."

* * *

Brandon Filipek was on his way out the door when Bobby hooked his arm around him and headed him back inside. "You got a few minutes, right, Brandon?" Bobby asked as they walked into his small living room.

"Actually, I have to get to the Garden. I've got weight training in an hour."

Alex and Bobby showed their badges. "I think Coach will be okay with it if you're a little late today," she said.

Brandon sighed and sank into his easy chair. "It's about Mack, ain't it?"

Bobby looked at Alex. "You know," he grinned, "I'm starting to think it's funny, how every time we show our badges, people always think we're here about Mack Thornton. Was he that rowdy?"

"Aw, man, who else would you be here about? I heard he was killed."

"Where'd you hear that?" Alex asked.

"I-uh, I don't know. Uh, Coach, I think." The detectives shared a glance.

Bobby leaned forward. "Let's talk about Mack. You were friends with him, right?"

"Yeah."

"He had his ex, Tammy, and he had little Dani, and he had Michelle Garner."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Any other girls in his life?"

"Wha-I don't know."

"You don't know," Alex repeated.

Bobby took charge again. "You know. He stepped up to the big leagues, and he left Michelle at home watching a little girl that wasn't even hers. He was at the rink every night, wasn't he?"

Reluctantly, Brandon nodded. "Yeah. He would practice his shots with me. Sometimes we'd stay out on the ice until midnight."

"And Michelle was having a hard time with that."

"I guess so. I know he started coming in with a black cloud over his head. Took him a while to shake it off, to concentrate on his game."

"So who did he turn to, Brandon? You?"

Alex leaned in and whispered in Brandon's ear. "You don't seem like the type a man would take his problems to."

"I-uh, well, all right. We went out a couple times, to a bar. He met this girl there, Cynthia."

Bobby grinned. "And Cynthia helped him feel better about himself."

"Well, she made him feel better."

"Michelle found out?"

"I don't know. Really. I honestly don't know. All I know is, Mack said he and Michelle were working things out. I didn't hear any more about Cynthia after those first couple of weeks."

Bobby handed him a notepad and his pencil. "Write it down," he said, waggling his finger over the paper. "Everything you can remember. Her name, the name of the bar, wherever Mack said he went with her."

Obediently, Brandon scratched the pencil against the paper.

* * *

When they arrived at 1PP, Alex started off in the direction of the elevators. After a few steps, she realized he wasn't with her. She turned on her heel and went back to his side.

"I… uh… I gotta take the stairs," he explained.

"Good idea! I'll take them with you."

"Eames. That's not… you don't have to."

"C'mon, Goren, if you're that out of shape, I better be there to scrape you up off the steps when you collapse." She opened the stairwell door and held it open for him.

He hung his head and went inside.

As the door swung slowly shut, Alex followed him up the stairs. He was already halfway up the first flight, and she could hear him breathing.

"Tell you what, Bobby," she said easily.

He didn't answer, just turned to look at her for a moment, to let her know he was listening.

"You make it from bottom to top without stopping, and I'll take you out on Friday night."

"Make it up… how?" He asked between breaths.

"Walking is fine, just no stopping until we get to the 11th floor."

"You're trying to kill me," he complained.

Alex smiled. She stayed a few steps behind him the whole way up.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was the slowest walk up stairs Alex had ever taken. By the end, she was walking directly behind him, afraid she would have to catch him when he collapsed.

But, slow though it was, Bobby Goren was triumphant. He made it to the top without stopping, and sat down on the landing to recover.

"You okay?" Alex asked, since his face was flushed and he just didn't look well.

He nodded, but said nothing.

"I'll go get you some water," she offered, and she disappeared. He would never know how quickly she trekked to the vending machine and back.

Handing him the bottle, she lowered herself to sit by him on the top step.

"I did it," he said, taking a sip.

"Yep. You did it."

He drank again. "Where are we going Friday night?" He asked.

"I was thinking maybe mountain climbing."

Bobby flicked his wrist and a tablespoon of water flew out and landed on her pants. She wiped it away, laughing.

"Anything you want, Bobby." She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "You did great."

"Okay, but I'm not doing this," he gestured to the stairs he'd just ascended, "more than once a day."

"Deal."

* * *

"Larry Nevins, I'm Detective Goren, this is Detective Eames." They displayed their badges for him. "About a year ago, you were arrested in an altercation with Mack Thornton."

"Yeah, I remember."

"How did you know Mack?" Alex asked.

"We played hockey together on the Whales."

Bobby put his finger to his chin a moment, then snapped his fingers suddenly. "You were number 52. Center."

"Yeah, that's right."

"You've got a strong wrist-shot," Bobby commented.

"Yeah, thanks."

"So what happened that night? Just arguing about the game, or what?"

"Oh, hell no. If I'm going to fight about a game, I do it in the arena, on the ice." He leaned back against his countertop. "We were fighting over a girl."

"Mack was… married then?"

"No. He and Tammy were divorced already."

"You fought over Michelle?"

"Who?"

Goren and Eames traded a look.

"Who were you fighting over?" Alex asked.

"Margo. Margo Rutherford. I was engaged to her for 8 months, then Mack had some kind of fling with her, and she dumped me."

"So what happened, you know, after the fight?" Bobby asked, dipping his head to the left as he listened.

"She dumped me. I got stuck with a bill for damages at the bar. And we played hockey."

"Did Mack keep it going with Margo?" Alex asked.

"I don't know. Maybe a few weeks. Next thing I know, I see him out with some redhead."

* * *

The puck slid swiftly across the length of the rink. Two men charged after it, one slammed heavily against the plywood wall behind the goal as the other man scooped the puck out and passed it to a forward, who smacked off a shot, sending chips of ice knee high.

The goalie caught the puck easily with his foot and waited for his men to get into position before he kicked it out to a teammate. Play resumed, this time in the opposite direction. Again, the puck zoomed across the ice, hit the wall, and bounced back into a more central position, where two men hacked away at it until one managed to flick it out to the side of the arena.

A skater swooshed to a stop, and slapped it, firing it between the goalkeeper's feet and into the net. Emery's whistle blew, and the players glided out into a loose line, and took off their face shields.

"Good practice, boys. We'll see you tomorrow night."

Goren stepped out on the ice carefully. He tried to walk with the same ease as the coaches, but his unpracticed legs betrayed him and he walked very stiffly. "Kato," he called, and flashed his shield. "My partner and I would like to ask you a few questions." He tilted his head back at Alex, who had been smart enough to stay on the rubberized floor outside the rink.

"Sure," Kato grunted and skated to the edge of the floor and hopped up onto the sidelines. He sat down on the player's bench and started unlacing his skates.

"We understand you used to date Michelle Garner," Alex said. She leaned against the rail between the rink and the sidelines.

"Yeah, we went around for a while."

"Before she met Mack?" Bobby asked. "Or maybe… when they had a little falling out…"

"She was seeing him."

The detectives stared silently, hoping he would continue.

"She was seeing Mack, but she wasn't happy. This was back on the Whales. After a game one night, Mack headed back to his room, I guess he wanted to talk to his daughter or something. Michelle was upset. I bought her a few beers, and well… that girl gets friendly when she's drunk."

"How friendly?" Eames prodded.

"Let's just say I ran out of condoms that night."

Bobby looked out at the Zamboni that was pulling onto the ice. "How did he, uh, Mack, take that… when he found out?"

"He was pissed. But he'd seen her drunk before. He knew how she was."

"He wasn't mad at you?"

"No." Kato removed as many pads as he could without stripping down.

"But she got back with him," Bobby said. "That must have hurt."

Kato wagged his head back and forth. "I didn't take it so well at first, but hey… women. A dime a dozen, huh?"

He expected Goren to join in with his sexist jibes, but Bobby just gave Alex a look and then turned back to the player. "Women. Yeah."

"You said you didn't take it so well. Like how?" Alex asked him.

"I went out looking for her, gave her a piece of my mind. But in the end, she wanted Mack. Nothing I could do."

"Did you hit her?" Bobby asked very, very quietly. "C'mon, man. I'm not looking to arrest you. I just want… the truth. You know, man. The truth."

Imperceptibly, Kato nodded. "Just the one time. And then I left. I never tried to, you know, see her again after that."

* * *

After the day's interviews, Alex and Bobby hashed out Mack Thornton's relationship timeline. It was laid out across the bulletin board from left to right, with extra tidbits dangling down underneath, exposing extra tangles in the web. The visual provided an instant picture that encompassed it all: Mack's women, his daughter, and his women's other affairs.

They stared at it a while when it was finished, and Bobby rubbed his tired eyes. Alex bit her tongue. She wanted to tell him to go home, to take care of himself, but she knew it would only rub him the wrong way. Instead, she stretched. "I think I'm going to call it a day," she announced. "Make sense of this in the morning?"

"Sure," Goren said, secretly enjoying how her breasts lifted when she stretched out her arms. She dropped a hand on his shoulder as she walked past him out the door, and he suddenly felt warm all over.

"See you in the morning, Bobby," she said.

"Good night, Eames."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Friday

He dropped the bag and the coffee on her desk with a smile.

"Good morning," she said. Opening the bag, she saw there was only one inside. "You already have yours?" She asked.

"I had oatmeal," he said, shaking his head. He took a long sip from his coffee, then slipped out of his winter coat. "I'll be back there," he mumbled, gesturing with his hand.

She snatched up her coffee, the bag with the scone, and her case file. "I'll come with," Alex announced.

His binder was in his hand, and he dropped it on the table with a thunk, then sat down in front of their timeline.

She sat down next to him, withdrew the scone, and started eating. She read over the timeline, too. "He was a real womanizer," she commented. Alex started thinking out loud, in between bites. "Who'd want to kill a womanizer? Jealous husband, boyfriend, etc…"

"The hockey guys don't seem to be like that," Bobby commented.

"A woman he hurt?"

"He didn't hurt them physically. Emotionally…" Bobby stood up and traced a finger along the timeline as he read through it once more. "Eames," he began his question, "how many divorcees you know who are okay with the ex's girlfriend watching the kid?"

She tilted her head. "Not many, but it does happen."

"Remember what Tammy said? It wasn't amicable at first, but they learned how for Dani's sake." He turned and asked, one hand scratching the back of his head, "How long does it usually take to 'learn how' to get along with your ex?"

Alex was getting on board with him now. She nodded. "Usually longer than two years."

"Tammy was hurt. He cheated on her. He chose other women over _family_. And then she's going to let the other woman keep her daughter?"

"Michelle was with him the night he died."

"Michelle was hurt, too. They were on the outs."

"They were making amends."

"So she says."

"And Filipek."

There was a pause while Bobby tried to put his thoughts together. He sat down again, next to Eames. "Guys… guys don't have those conversations with each other. Women do."

She looked at him, waiting for him to clarify.

"Look. Thornton and Filipek are practicing hockey… they're burning off steam. That's what guys do when they've got something on their minds. Maybe a sentence slips out… 'she's leaving me,' or 'she wants me back,' but that's it. We don't get into _conversations_ about these things."

"You're stereotyping. You have conversations with me all the time," she quipped.

A hundred emotions flashed over his face: anger, frustration, fear. "The _conversation_ only happens with a woman. With… _the_ woman…" Bobby jumped up out of his seat and stood in front of the timeline again, with his back to her. "…you love. Have we asked Michelle about her relationship with Tammy?" He was relieved when Alex didn't appear to pick up on his confession.

"No."

"I think we should go see her."

Alex tossed her bag into the trash can and gathered up her things. "Okay."

* * *

"Dinner tonight?" Alex asked as she navigated the morning traffic.

His smile was sweet, and showed his pearly whites. "Sure."

"I thought maybe I could take you to Franklin Street. They have dancing there, too."

If it were possible, his smile brightened. "Sounds great."

"I'll take you out again when you've lost 5 pounds."

"Deal."

She parked the car, and they walked up the drive together, carefully avoiding the ice on the sidewalk.

Alex rang the bell, while Bobby's attention drifted and swayed behind her.

Michelle opened the door. "I'm getting ready for work," she said.

"We won't stay long," Alex replied. Michelle let the two come inside and shut the door.

The detectives peeled off gloves and opened their coats, but did not take them off. "I know there were times when Mack was… busy, and you had to watch Dani for him."

"Yeah. Happened a lot."

"Was he… hassled that he had a kid?"

"No, he loved Danielle! We all love her. But Mack, he… he just got caught up in himself sometimes, you know?" Michelle put her hair up in a bun and secured it with a clip. "Like last summer? He was all about Dani. But as soon as he got the job with the NHL, he got obsessed with hockey again."

"Hockey, and other women," Alex muttered.

"What?"

"He… cheated on you," Bobby interjected.

Michelle's face was angry a moment. "What if he did? It doesn't matter now, anyway. Nothing does."

"He cheated on you, but you were still taking care of his kid. Why didn't you call Tammy and ask her to get Dani?"

"I did."

Bobby grinned and waggled his finger in the air knowingly as he spoke. "I know what happened… you took Dani home to Tammy, and she invited you in… and you two had a lot in common."

"Two jilted women," Alex agreed.

"Well, can you blame me? I was hurt, and Tammy… understood."

"And you're still close to Tammy?"

"Sure, she's a friend."

A quick glance and Bobby buttoned up his coat. "Okay, we'll get out of your hair so you can get to work." Alex fastened her coat as well and said her goodbyes. "Any word on… services yet?" Bobby called back as they opened the door.

"Saturday at 9. At Resthaven."

The rest of Bobby's day was spent digging deeper into Michelle Garner's life.

* * *

Dinner was over, and the two kept the conversation going while they waited for the DJ to set up.

"You did it again?"

"All the way up. I did it just before I left for home."

"I'm proud of you, Bobby. You haven't had any more… trouble, have you?"

"No," he reassured her, and it was true. With each passing day, he felt a little better, a little stronger.

The music finally started and he led her to the dance floor. Her hand felt comfortable in his, and he liked dancing with her. For Bobby, dancing was easy, not like running.

After 20 minutes, she said she was thirsty, and they went back to their table. "I don't know if I can keep up with you," Alex said, panting.

He grinned, but didn't comment. After a few sips of water and another hard drink, he spoke again. "Alex? Thanks."

* * *

She stopped drinking two hours before they closed the place down. The air was frigid and they walked quickly to the car and shivered waiting for it to warm up.

He wasn't drunk, but he was feeling it. Bobby saw her pressing her gloved hands together and he knew she was cold. He unbuttoned one button on his coat, turned to her, and took her hands in his. He stuck her hands inside the opening, warming them against his chest. It worked. She relished the feeling of her hands against the warmth of his core. But it also trapped them against each other, faces inches apart.

He kissed her.

Bobby kissed Alex, and she didn't mind. His heart did a leap inside his chest as he realized she wasn't going to stop him, and that she was kissing him back.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bobby stood quietly in the back of the crowd, his sunglasses and knitted cap keeping him as low key as a man of his size could be. Fortunately, many of the hockey players in attendance were as big as Bobby. He was virtually unnoticed in the crowd. The snow was sparkling white against the rolling hills of the graveyard, and only the topmost half of the headstones was visible. 6 inches of snow sat on top of the grave markers, making them appear to have pushed up out of the ground, taking the snow with them.

Tired as he was, he was fully alert. He scanned the crowd and mentally catalogued every familiar face. Both teams were there in full, the Rangers and the Whales, as well as all their coaches. And at the gravesite, in front of the casket, stood Michelle Garner, Tammy Thornton, and a very cold little Danielle. Once the crowd began to disperse, the child was whisked away to the warmth of a car by what looked to be her grandmother.

His keen eye caught the moment, a split second, really, when the two women held hands.

"That was interesting," said a familiar voice behind him.

Without looking at her, he replied, "Yes it was."

"I have coffee in the car," she said. "I'm at the end of the line." Alex walked away, but Bobby continued to observe the women until they slowly walked to the front most car in line.

Silently, as if not to wake the dead, the cars slowly began to pull away, snaking around the path that went through the graveyard. Bobby turned and walked through the deep snow towards the car, and Alex.

He was out of breath when he climbed in, and his cheeks and nose were red. He closed the door and snatched the coffee cup into his hands and just held it between his palms, his cold fingers folded around it.

Alex drove the car in silence while her partner warmed back up. By the time they hit the city streets, he had shed his gloves and hat, and unbuttoned his coat. "Hung over?" she asked casually.

He gave her a grin. "No." After another sip of the coffee, he spoke again. "You're up early."

"No reason for you to pay for a cab. I knew where you'd be."

"Thanks."

She graced him with a smile.

"Eames… uh, Alex," his voice was gentle, but his body started to move with the nervous energy she was so familiar with. "Last night was… was great."

She grinned at him, her features full of youth and beauty. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

"Uh, I don't know… I don't know where we… how we…"

"One day at a time, Bobby. We take it one day at a time."

* * *

"Michelle Garner has a history of failed relationships," Bobby said. He scrawled the timeline on the whiteboard, this one devoted entirely to her. "In high school, she dropped out and ran away with a boy. Two years later, she was picked up for prostitution and her mother moved her back to New Jersey to straighten out."

_It's a good thing he's telling me this while he's writing,_ Alex mused. _His handwriting is terrible._ She smiled, amused with herself.

"Her mom said 8 months was all she lasted and then she moved into an apartment in the Bronx with a new boyfriend. This one lasted three months." Bobby paused so his writing could catch up with his words. "Moved back home again, finished her GED, enrolled in junior college, and within 6 months she was gone again. Her mother said she had a new boyfriend, and they were living in some kind of house with six or eight other college kids." He turned to Alex. "A coed mix."

"After that, Michelle drifted to Connecticut. She dropped out of college, but managed to find a job. Then she started following the Whales. She's been in and out of jobs for years, averaging about 4 months at each. The only constant in her life since then has been hockey. According to my sources, she's dated or had a fling with almost every player on the team, since 1999."

Alex groaned. "What a gem," she murmured. "What does this all add up to, Bobby? You think she did it?"

He flopped into a chair across from her, nodding his head vigorously. "She's unstable, has been for years, which is indicative of some form of psychosis. Given her history, I think she's psychotic with progressive intimacy disorder."

"A sex addict."

"A sex addict, who has serious problems with rejection." He went back through the timeline. "Boyfriend number one? Went to the ER more than once. She abused him."

"Boyfriend 2? Was involved in a house fire shortly after the breakup."

"The coed group… that was different, but I can name at least three roommates that had hospital visits during Michelle's occupancy there." Bobby twirled the marker in his fingers. "It just goes on and on."

"So she killed Mack because he cheated on her."

"Worse than that, he rejected her."

"But they had sex the night he died."

"I thought of that, too." He leaned forward and the marker dangled from the fingers of his left hand. "Filipek wasn't completely honest with us."

"All right Bobby, you're giving me a migraine. Get to the point."

He stopped for a moment, wondering if she really did have a headache. After a pause to consider it, he rejected the thought and continued. "We know that Michelle had abused boyfriend number one. What if she continued to abuse men? What if she was abusing Mack?"

"He sure as hell wouldn't want anyone to find out about it, especially on the Rangers." She looked up at Bobby. "But you think he told Filipek."

Bobby nodded.

"But you said guys don't have conversations like that!"

"Not _conversations,_ no… but he may have let it slip. Or Filipek may have noticed something. I didn't say guys are idiots."

She laughed at his joke. "Okay, so… she's bullying Mack into staying in the relationship with her?"

"Until she met Tammy."

Alex rubbed her temples. "You think Michelle's bi."

"I think she and Tammy are lovers. And Mack's death would benefit them both."

"You think Tammy was an accomplice."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N To Sell, who has so graciously informed me that the day I run out of ideas for stories she will come kick my ass, I simply say… "Bring it."

You made me laugh out loud! Now please get yourself a username so I can private message you!

* * *

Chapter 9

"So, did you wanna… come over?" Bobby asked.

Alex's shoulders slumped slightly. "I have a family thing tonight, at my Dad's."

"Oh. I-I understand."

"Did you want to…?" She knew it was a bad idea as soon as the words started slipping out of her mouth.

He shook his head. "Some other time."

The office was mostly deserted, but there were still too many eyes. She quickly brushed her finger against the back of his hand. "Soon," was all she said.

"Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Bobby."

* * *

Bobby did the stairs in his building, managing to run a little in between the walking. Then he showered and climbed into bed, where all he could do was stare at the ceiling, and replay the events of last night in his head.

Kissing in the car, as wonderful as it was, had its drawbacks. She'd finally pulled away and driven him home, where he casually invited her up.

He'd led her up the stairs by the hand, feeling as giddy as a teenager. He opened the door, brought her inside, and closed the door with his right hand even as he dipped his left into the hair at the back of her neck. Their kisses were deeper out of the confines of the cold car.

"I'm hot," Alex'd said, and he'd released her. They both stripped out of their winter gear, leaving it scattered on the floor by the door. His lips had found hers again, and she didn't seem to mind when he pressed his hips against hers.

"Are you… are you thirsty?" He asked her, finally breaking away.

After another kiss, an afterthought, she answered, "Some water would be good."

He disappeared in the kitchen and came back moments later with a glass of water for each of them. After a thick drink, Alex put her glass down on the bookshelf. Slowly, experimentally, she reached out and ran a hand along his arm, up to his shoulder. He leaned his head against her fingertips when they roamed to his cheek.

Bobby set his water down and explored her, too. He set the palm of his hand against her belly and lifted it slowly up and over one soft breast. Alex responded with a sigh and her leg moved between his legs, dangerously close to his aching groin.

She felt exactly how he'd imagined she would. Firm muscle, supple breasts, luscious lips… Bobby licked his lips and swallowed. The memory was making his mouth water.

Her hands had roamed his body, as well, and strangely, he hadn't felt the least bit self-conscious about his extra pounds. Her caress was magical. And then at once, she'd turned away from him and tried to suppress a tremendous yawn.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bobby. What time is it?"

He'd had to clear his throat, and his head. "Oh, uh… almost 3."

She yawned again, and he thought it was cute. He grinned. "I have to get home," she said.

He'd almost asked her to stay with him, but something stopped him. It was too soon. It was too new. And so he'd graciously helped her gather her warm clothes up and put them on, and walked her to the car.

The cold air had quelled his desire. Tonight, however, there was only one thing that would bring him relief.

* * *

The phone rang in the morning, shaking him out of a deep sleep. "Hello?" He answered it, with a frog in his throat.

"Morning." She waited while he cleared his throat.

"Morning. How was the… the thing?"

"I can still kick my little brother's ass."

"I don't doubt it."

"How was your night?"

"Oh, you know… okay."

"I've been thinking about the case."

"Yeah?"

"I think we should get out there, talk to them. Maybe one of them will crack." Lost in thought, he nodded. The silence disturbed Alex and she finally said, "Bobby?"

"Yeah, uh, sorry. Good idea. I can meet you at the office."

"I'll come pick you up. We can get breakfast."

* * *

After breakfast, the two drove out to Michelle's place. Finding it empty, they went to Tammy's. Again, the house was vacant. Bobby and Alex met each other on the sidewalk in front of the porch, their breath visible in the cold.

"One more place I can think of to look," Alex said.

"Thornton's apartment."

She nodded.

* * *

Sure enough, they found Tammy's car on the street in front of the building.

"I'll call in, let 'em know where we are," Alex said, dialing her cell phone. When the call ended, they made eye contact.

_You ready?_

A slight nod.

_Let's go._

Bobby led the way up the stairs. At the landing, they turned right, walked two doors down and rang the bell. Tammy opened the door.

"Detectives, I didn't expect to see you."

"That's Bobby's fault. He likes to surprise people. Me, I think it's rude." Alex stepped inside and craned her neck. "Is Michelle here?"

On cue, the woman came out of the bedroom, Dani's small hand in hers. Bobby walked inside and shut the door.

"Michelle, the detectives are here." She took several steps inside. "We're just, you know, cleaning. A lot of things to take care of," she said.

"You're, uh… dividing up the spoils?" Bobby asked, point blank. The women stared back at him.

"If you're going to be rude, detective, then—"

"He's only rude when he knows he's right," Alex quipped.

"Right about what?!" asked Michelle.

"Look, I'm sorry. Maybe Dani can go to her room and we can have a talk," Bobby said.

"I'm sure whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Dani," Michelle snapped.

"Michelle, no, I think the detectives are right. Let Dani go to her room."

The little girl's head moved from one woman to the other. "You never wanted to help me," Michelle hissed at Tammy. In one swift movement, she drew a gun and shot Tammy.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Alex dropped down to help Tammy while Goren cautiously approached Michelle, who already held the gun to little Dani's head.

"Okay, okay… There's no reason to put Dani in the middle. Let her go, Michelle." His face reddened and twisted with emotion. "Let her go. Please."

Danielle was silent, but tears ran freely down her tiny face. She was terrified.

Tammy was still alive. Alex put pressure on the wound with one hand and silently sent a text message with the other. The dining room table blocked her partially from Michelle's view.

Bobby inched forward, then back, every movement with the child's safety foremost in his brain. His mind and heart were racing. "You had to do it, I understand," Bobby said.

"Shut up! You don't understand me! Nobody understands me!"

Bobby froze. _Wrong move,_ he thought. "That's it, isn't it?" Bobby said softly. "All your life, you've been looking for someone… who could understand."

Alex listened to the exchange with a knot in her stomach. As always, Bobby was approaching the situation cautiously, but brilliantly. But even brilliance sometimes failed against insanity. Last week, there hadn't been a child involved. And last week, they were successful. And last week, Bobby'd damned near had a heart attack.

Michelle was talking now. "Even my mother didn't!"

"You suffered... As a little girl… Look at her, Michelle. You said you loved her. You don't want Dani to suffer."

Abruptly, she released the girl, who ran as fast as she could to Alex and her mother. Immediately, Alex positioned herself between the gun and the child. Alex snuck a glance at the clock on her phone. They should be here by now.

"H-hands up," she ordered, and Bobby complied. He raised them as high as he could.

_I've got to give her a way out,_ he thought. _She feels trapped._

She turned the gun on herself.

"You don't have to," he said, his face beet red from the stress. "You can still walk out of this, Michelle. Mack died, but maybe it was self defense. And Tammy, she won't press charges. She loves you."

"I killed her," Michelle said, the tears falling. The woman back-stepped toward the balcony door.

"She's alive," Alex called from her nook by the kitchen table.

"See? You didn't kill her. She's alive." Bobby stepped forward cautiously. "She loves you, Michelle. She'll say it was an accident. You can still get out of this."

Outside the apartment door, a team was in position, listening to everything through hastily set-up microphones. Another team was across the street, trying to get a good view of what was taking place inside Thornton's apartment.

They knew there was a child inside, and that kept them from taking action without the word from one of the detectives. They would wait for a signal.

Again, Bobby was telling himself, _She can't see a way out. She's got to find a way out._

Abruptly, Bobby collapsed on the floor.

Alex's heart dropped along with him. Adrenaline racing, she craned her neck to see what had happened, if he was hurt. _God please don't let him be dead,_ she pleaded.

* * *

A/N I'm getting really tired of this story. I think I'll just quit now.

Bahahahaha! Just kidding.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Your mom's going to be all right," Alex whispered. Meanwhile her mind was screaming _God let Bobby be okay! _With determination, Alex turned toward the balcony, drawing her weapon as she did.

The woman, surprised when the big man collapsed, took two wobbly backward steps, turned and ran for the balcony, dropping the hand with the gun to her side as she did.

Bobby bounded after her, as quickly as he could. By the time he got to the balcony door, he was on his feet again. He raced out into the icy wind and grabbed the unsuspecting woman by the waist. He yanked her back and dropped her to the cement, securing the arm with the gun with one hand. He pinned her with his body, caught his breath, and shouted "Clear!"

Alex was almost in tears. "Clear!" She repeated, as loudly as she could, replacing her weapon in its holster. The door burst open and a horde of officers came in to help. As soon as someone took over for her, Alex slipped away, outside.

Bobby, too, had been relieved. He sat on the cold concrete, feeling it seep right up through the fabric of his pants. He was out of breath, and he was shaking.

"Are you all right?" She asked, squatting down beside him and resting her hand on his knee.

He gave her a cheshire grin. "Yeah."

"What happened?"

He shrugged. "I had to give her an out."

Angrily, she smacked his leg, hard. "You gave _me_ a heart attack, Goren!" He shivered, and her abrasive tone disappeared. "C'mon. It's cold out here. Let's get you inside."

Alex rose and offered him her hand as he pulled himself to his feet. They took care of business first, sharing the details of the case with the other officers, making the arrests official. Then they walked down the steps to the car.

Alex shot frequent glances in his direction. He really had scared her, and she wasn't convinced there wouldn't be a repeat of last week. She slipped into her seat and started the car.

Bobby got his seatbelt fastened and caught her stealing another look. "You don't have to look at me like that," he said. "I'm okay, really."

Her eyes met his, searched his. Bobby dropped his hand over hers, and the warmth of it convinced her. She pulled out into the city street and headed back to 1PP.

* * *

"Hey Eames," he said, finally finished with the paperwork.

She signed the report and looked over at him.

"It's Sunday. We should have a little fun. Come along with me?"

Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. "Dancing again?"

His eyes met hers. "No, I had… something else in mind."

* * *

A bowl of popcorn was on the coffee table, and his arm rested comfortably over her shoulders. The movie was good, had kept them entertained for over an hour. When the credits started to roll, Alex sighed.

"Wow. I never thought he would tell her."

Bobby leaned over and brushed his lips against her ear.

"Did you like it, Bobby?" She asked him as he methodically kissed his way down her jawbone, and landed on her neck.

"Mmm-hmmm," he replied.

"What was your favorite part?"

"This part," he answered softly, swirling his tongue against her skin. She moved her head, granting him better access. He brought his right hand over and rested it on her hip bone and his tongue found her lips.

Alex brought her hands up and framed his face, feeling his rough evening whiskers as they moved with each other. The kiss broke, and they stared at each other, panting. Alex smoothed back his curls, then leaned in to hug him tightly, her hands pulling hard against his back.

"You scared the hell out of me today."

He slumped and his own arms wrapped tightly around her. "I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of. Words weren't working."

"I don't want to lose you, Bobby. I don't ever want to lose you."

He thought about it, the significance of what she said. Alex knew loss. She'd lost her husband in the line of duty. He thought back, saw her posture as she stood by him in the emergency room last week. In his mind's eye, he saw the worry that had been written on her face.

He moved his arms, holding her even closer. "I love you, Alex." He'd finally said it. No more hints or clever quips. It was out there. And even though he knew without her ever speaking the words, when she said it, a surge swelled in him and he kissed her again and again.

Sometime later, she finally broke away from him. Their hands still drifted across each other, and she asked quietly. "What do you want to…?"

The look in his eyes sent a jolt through her. She swallowed and lowered her gaze.

Bobby gently lifted her chin with one finger. "Do you?"

Her nod was all he needed. His moist lips pressed against hers and then he led her by the hand to his bedroom.

He was nervous. He wanted it to be perfect, and beautiful… worthy of her. Bobby shuffled a moment, from one foot to the other. Then he drew her into his arms and they danced. In the rhythm of their steps, to the song no one else could hear, his hand snuck in and buttons fell free.

Alex quivered under the sensation of his enormous hand against her bare skin. They swayed together, and her hand lifted his shirt. In the gentle movements of the dance, they managed to strip to their underwear.

The air in the room was cold, and Bobby pulled back the comforter and watched her slide in. He followed after her, his hands already exploring previously forbidden zones.

Her lips fell against his and he gasped as her hand slid over his shorts. His body pressed against her hand, and he moaned with passion. She didn't linger there, but let her hands drift to the skin of his back.

Bobby pulled his lips from hers and concentrated for a moment on removing her bra. Once it was loose, he slipped it off her arms and moaned again, pressing his face between the softness of her breasts.

Alex's hands dipped into the curls on the back of his head. She held them there while he tasted her nipples and worked his tongue in circles around them. He could hear the raggedness of her breath. As his mouth continued at her breast, his hand moved down and slipped off her panties.

Alex drew in a sharp breath at the first sensation of his finger against her wet pussy. She whined and squirmed, the sensations overwhelming her senses. She forced his head up and locked her lips against his as his finger gently probed her velvety skin.

Her kisses were different now, yearning and deep. He cried out when her hand suddenly pressed hard against his cock and her fingers closed around it. Even through the fabric of his shorts, it sent sparks through him. Bobby reached down and ripped off his boxers. They quickly found each other again, eagerly grasping, breath catching with surprise at the sensations.

Bobby jerked away for a moment, disappeared outside the covers. He was back almost as quickly as he'd gone, and Alex relished his warm scent beside her. Bobby kissed her, his hand slowly drawing down her body, between her legs, and then on the back of her thigh, lifting.

She felt him linger at her entrance and she was almost hyperventilating at the thought of what would come next.

The rubber felt foreign, but only for a moment. His cock pressed inside, meeting resistance when he moved slowly. Bobby gave her one more gentle kiss, then thrust halfway in, and Alex saw stars.

They whimpered with delight, and the dance continued.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bobby sat on the exam table, his feet dangling over the side and shaking vigorously. He checked the time again and sighed. He would never understand why these things took so long. For a moment, he wondered if it were some kind of tactic to throw the patient off, the same one he used with suspects, making them wait in the interrogation room.

The door swung open, interrupting his thought. He looked up and shook hands with his doctor. The man looked him up and down quickly, then sat down and studied his file, along with today's recorded vitals.

"Cholesterol's good, bloodwork is fine. You've lost 11 pounds. You're doing great, Mr. Goren. Any more issues since I saw you last?"

Bobby grinned. "No."

"Any problems with stress, or depression?"

"No."

"Well, I'm very pleased with your progress. Whatever you've been doing, keep it up."

The doctor shook his hand and left the room. Bobby slid off the table to the floor and reached for his shirt, folded on the chair by the door.

As he slipped it back on, he thought of Alex. He should have let her come with him. She'd actually been looking forward to this doctor visit. She was confident he would have good news.

She'd been there with him, every step of the way. She'd convinced him to buy the healthier dinners; encouraged him to keep up the exercise, even when he wanted to quit. He smiled. She'd even helped him find some novel ways to exercise. Most importantly, she had stuck with him… even when he'd grumbled and tried to push her away.

He settled up his bill at the front counter and then walked down the steps to the street. Within minutes, he was on the subway, headed home.

* * *

Bobby took the stairs two at a time as he hurried up to his floor. He paused at the top to straighten his clothes, then dropped the key in the lock and went inside. Alex was on the couch watching a movie, waiting for him.

"Well?" She asked, getting to her feet.

He took her in his arms. "Clean bill of health."

She threw her arms around him and gave him a firm hug. "That's great, Bobby! We should celebrate."

He shared a smile with her, then a kiss. "I'm already way ahead of you," he said.

* * *

The dinner was amazing, and now they stepped onto the swirling lights of the darkened dance floor. It was a slow song, and Alex let him sway her body one way, then the other. He even spun her in a slow circle, making her laugh.

Bobby lowered his hands to the small of her back and moved with much smaller steps. Her hands slipped down from his shoulders and gripped the lapels of his suit coat. She pulled him close, and demanded a kiss.

Bobby's hips pressed against her as his tongue lolled in the warmth of her mouth. He felt her hands slide to his back and cross as she stroked his tongue with hers.

At last they separated, and he stared into the depth of her eyes.

"I'm proud of you," she whispered. "I know this hasn't been easy."

He dropped another kiss to her lips and stood back up, a smile playing at his lips. "You make it easier," he admitted. "I don't think I could have done it without you."

The song ended and they unraveled from each other's arms. Alex took him by the hand. "Let's go home," she said.

THE END

* * *

A/N Thanks to everyone for reading, and especially for the reviews. If you haven't reviewed yet, I'd still love to hear from you. Thanks again!


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